A Chelsea Fork, circa 1750-55
The pistol-grip haft is moulded with flowering prunus branches, in the manner of the blanc de chine porcelains of Dehua. Inspired by French porcelain, prunus moulding of this type tends to date to the Raised Anchor period at Chelsea. The fork has three tines on a steel baluster stem. Scalloped silver ferrule.
Provenance: An English Private Collection.
Condition: Good – no damage or restoration. There is a tiny patch of misfiring from manufacture. The steel would benefit from a clean.
Dimensions: Length 22.5 cm (including tines)
A Review of Chelsea, Chelsea, Derby and Derby Knife and Fork Hafts, Tony Stevenson (ECC Transactions, vol. 14, no. 1, 1990).
Cutlery: From Gothic to Art Deco – The J. Hollander Collection, Jan van Trigt (Petraco-Pandora NV, 1999).